Pipe bundling machine



April 22, 1969 c. F. MORAIN PIPE BUNDLING MACHINE Fild April 12,1967 Sheet of 2 FIG. 4

CLIFFORD F MORAIN ATTORNEY INVENTOR.

April 22, 1969 c. F. MORAIN 3,4

PIPE BUNDLING MACHINE Filed April 12, 1967 Sheet 2 of 2 6000000 0000000 47 50 OOOOOOO 0 O O OO O O INVENTOR.

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46 ATTORNEY OOOOOOO CLIFFORD F. MORAIN' Patented Apr. 22, 1969 3,439,814 PIPE BUNDLING MACHINE Clifford F. Morain, Youngstown, Ohio (Burgett Road, Caufield, Ohio 44406) Filed Apr. 12, 1967, Ser. No. 630,258 Int. Cl. B65g 57/00; B65b 13/02, 13/20 US. Cl. 214-8 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates to a machine for forming bundles of a number of pipe lengths. A pair of supports of a fixed height are mounted on a frame and a second pair of supports are mounted outwardly and in line with the first pair on pivots closely adjacent the first supports. Hydraulic cylinders are provided to move the pivotally mounted supports from their horizontal position to a vertical position and a third cylinder moves one of the fixed height and the adjacent pivotally mounted supports toward and away from the other supports to vary the width of the bundle for-med. Two or three bundling machines are used depending upon the length of the pipe to be bundled. The bundling operation is performed as follows: a length of strapping sufficient to encompass the bundle is placed along the centerline of the supports; a wooden slat whose length is equal to the width of the bundle is placed above the strapping on the fixed height supports; slats whose lengths are equal to the height of the bundle are placed on the pivotally mounted supports; a sufiicient number of pipe lengths are placed on the slats at right angles thereto; the pivotally mounted supports are raised to their vertical positions; a slat is placed across the bundle and the strapping is joined to itself, after which the pivotally mounted supports are lowered to the normal position. The bundles formed are of rectangular cross-section.

This invention relates to apparatus for bundling steel pipe and more particularly to such apparatus which is capable of making bundles of rectangular cross-section of varying dimensions. When transporting steel pipe it is frequently desirable to secure a number of pipe lengths into a single bundle both to facilitate handling and to prevent movement of the pipe during transportation. If the pipe has been provided with a protective coating or wrapping it must be firmly secured against motion during handling and shipping to prevent scratching or nicking of the protective coating which may destroy the effectiveness of such coating. It is also desirable to form the pipe bundles so that they are rectangular in cross-section to most efficiently utilize the cargo holding area of, for example, railroad gondola cars in which the pipe is shipped to the consumer. It may also be desirable to vary the width of the pipe bundles.

A primary object of this invention is the provision of a pipe bundling machine which is capable of receiving lengths of pipe from a conveyor or the like and which positions the pipe lengths in a rectangular cross-section bundle. A further object of the invention is the provision of a pipe bundling machine for forming bundles of rectangular cross-section which is readily adjustable to vary the width of the bundle formed. Another object of the invention is the provision of a pipe bundling machine which is of rigid but economical construction and which is troublefree in opertion.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following specification and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawing: 7

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the pipe bundling apparatus of my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the adjustable supports and their associated frame;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view, in section, taken along the line IVIV of FIGURE 3;

FIGURES 5 and 6 are transverse sectional views taken along the lines V-V and VIVI, respectively, of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 7 is a schematic plan view of a pipe bundling installation utilizing the apparatus of my invention; and

FIGURE 8 is an end elevation View of a pipe bundle formed by the apparatus of my invention.

Referring first to FIGURES 1 and 2, I provide a frame 10 to which are secured heavy plates 11 and 12, plate 11 being rigidly fastened to the frame 10 and plate 12 being free to slide in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of frame 10 in ways 13. Mounted on plate 11 is a stationary support 15 and a pivotal arm 16. A similar support and arm 17 and 18, respectively, are mounted on plate 12. A hydraulic cylinder 19, mounted on brackets 20 which are carried by frame 10, has the free end of its rod connected to arm 16 by pin 21. A second hydraulic cylinder 22, mounted on brackets 23 which are carried by an open box-like frame 24 which is secured to and depends from plate 12, has the free end of its rod connected to arm 18 by pin 25. The frame 24 is connected to a hydraulic cylinder 26 which is rigidly mounted on a crossmember 27 of the main frame 10.

As is seen in FIGURES 5 and 6, the arms 16 and 18 consist of spaced parallel plates 28 joined at their upper ends by a horizontal plate 29 which carries on its upper surface a pair of angles 30. The stationary supports 15 and 17 are provided with similar plates 31 and angles 32 and have brackets 33 extending therefrom in a direction parallel to but offset from the longitudinal axis of the main frame 10. The arms 16 and 18 are carried by heavy pins 34 and 35 which are journalled in trunnions 36 and 37 secured to plates 11 and 12, respectively. Projections 38 on one end of the frame 2.4 are provided with holes to receive a pin or rod inserted through one of the holes 39 in the side portion of the main frame 10, securing frame 24, plate 12, supports 17 and 18, and cylinder 22 against motion during the bundling operation.

The bundling machine may be provided with a base 11 having wheels 41 to permit movement of the machine along rails 42. When the apparatus is to be used it is positioned immediately adjacent the discharge end of a pipe conveying table or the like 43. In FIGURE 7 two bundling machines are shown but it may be desirable to use three machines when long pipe lengths are being bundled to assure properly, tightly formed bundles. The support positioning hydraulic cylinder 26 of the machines may be controlled by a common actuator as may be the arm moving cylinders 19 and 20 to provide simultaneous operation of the machines. When the handling machines have been positioned at the end of pipe conveyor 43, cylinder 26 is actuated to position the supports 17 and 18 in accordance with the desired Width of the pipe bundle to be formed. A length of steel band or similar strapping material 44, of sufficient length to encompass the formed pipe bundle, is positioned in the groove between angles 30 in such a way that the ends of the banding strap may be joined together at the top of the formed bundle. Wooden slats 45, 46, and 47 are placed above the strap 44 on the supports 1548; boards or slats 45 and 47 being of a length approximately equal to the height of the desired bundle and board 46 being approximately equal in length to the width of the desired bundle. The number of pipe required may be determined from the diameter of the pipe and the height and width of the desired bundle and this number of pipe are transferred from table 43 to the bundling apparatus, the pipe lengths resting upon the slats 45, 46 and 47 at right angles to the longtudinal axes of the bundling machines. Hydraulic cylinders 19 and 22 are now actuated, pivoting supports 16 and 18 to the vertical position shown in dotted outline in FIGURE 1 moving the pipe into a bundle configuration with rectangular cross-section. A fourth slat 48 of the same length as slat 46 is positioned across the top of the bundle in the same plan as slats 45-47 and the band 44 is tightened around the bundle and secured to itself. Cylinders 19 and 22. are now deactuated, lowering arms 16 and 18. The formed and bound bundle is now ready to be removed from the bundling apparatus and loaded for shipping or storage as may be desired.

It should now be apparent that I have invented a new and useful device for bundling pipe lengths which fulfills the objects initially set forth. The width of the bundle formed may be varied by varying the separation of the supports 15 and 17 and the height varied by varying the number of pipe formed into the bundle. The apparatus is of simple design, rugged construction, and is capable of rapidly forming rectangular cross-section bundles of pipe.

Having described my invention what I claim is:

1. Apparatus for receiving a plurality of lengths of pipe and for positioning the same in a bundle, comprising: a frame, a pair of fixed height supports mounted on said frame and extending at right angles to the longitudinal axes of said pipe lengths; a second support pivotally mounted adjacent each of said fixed height supports, the upper surface of said pivotally mounted supports being on the same horizontal plane as the supper surface of said fixed height supports, and one of said fixed height supports and the associated pivotally mounted support being capable of movement toward and away from the other of said supports; means mounted on said frame to effect the motion of said first fixed height support and the associated pivotally mounted support toward and away from said second fixed height support and the associated pivotally mounted support; and means carried by said frame to rotate each of said second supports about its pivot.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 further characterizedin that said frame consists of a pair of longitudinally extending side members in spaced, parallel relationship joined by cross-members at the ends thereof, a plate spanning and secured to said longitudinally extending side members, one of said fixed height supports and the associated pivotally mounted support being secured to said plate, a second plate spanning said side members and slideable in a direction parallel thereto in ways secured to said side members, the second of said fixed height supports and associated pivotally mounted support being mounted on said second plate, an open box-like frame secured to and depending from said second plate and fitting within said side members, means to pivot the first of said pivotally mounted supports being mounted on said first-mentioned frame, said means to pivot the second of said pivotally mounted supports being mounted on said box-like frame, and said means to effect motion between said fixed height supports being mounted on said first-mentioned frame.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 further characterized in that said means to rotate the first of said pivotally mounted supports is a hydraulic cylinder having its movable end secured to said pivotally mounted support, said means to rotate the second of said pivotally mounted supports is a hydraulic cylinder having its movable end secured to said pivotally mounted support, and said means to effect motion is a hydraulic cylinder having its movable end secured to said box-like frame.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 further including means to releasably secure said second plate and associated pivots against motion toward and away from said first fixed height support.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,301,504 4/1919 Rowe et al. 100-16 X 1,396,420 11/1921 Glinchikoff 214-77 X 1,551,004 8/1925. Biggert. 2,183,813 12/1939 Howard et al. 2,708,863 5/1955 Payne 214-6 X 2,739,836 3/1956 Kilpatrick 214--505 2,805,757 9/1957 Rapley 214-6 X 3,021,781 2/1962 Meister et al. 100-8 3,021,970 2/1962 Bigge et al. 214- 3,297,174 1/ 1967 Letchworth 214-6 FOREIGN PATENTS 150,418 9/1962 U.S.S.R.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

R. J. SPAR, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

